An account of the wildlife I come across and hopefully pictures to bring the account closer

Sunday, 14 April 2013

Sunday 14th. April 2013

A catch up on two morning visits up on the Common this weekend . The juvenile Common Buzzard is still in the horse field , but yesterday morning it was down the bottom of the field and the local

Corvids , especially the nesting Rooks were dive-bombing it non stop . Eventually , it got the message and retreated back up to the top of the field . Arriving at the heathland area of the Common ,

the mobile Chiffchaff was still calling , but I did manage the odd distant shot . I'm sure there was a female about too , but she kept low in the Gorse , contact calling back to the male . Whilst watching

the two of them , a low fast moving bird turned out to be my first Swallow of the Summer . I just about managed to focus on the bird before it was out of sight . At the Long Tailed Tit nest , the

building work finished , the pair were busy 'soft furnishings' , to make their nest as warm and comfortable as possible .
A sunnier but windy visit this morning , found three Common Buzzards , low over the heathland area . As I watched them , one broke off from the other two and cruised quite close to where I was

standing , allowing me to get a good sequence of in flight shots . But as soon as it realised that I was there , it veered off and quickly gained height , but it was enjoyable while it lasted . Also seen on the

visit was a male Brimstone and this Comma , looking a bit tatty , but after the Winter we've just had , it's a miracle that anything can survive . Several Buff-tailed Bumble Bees were also on the wing , and

a Seven Spot Ladybird was found warming up on the Gorse . Back home in the garden , things were

definitely friendly in the pond , and whilst I was barbecuing this afternoon , a male and female Brimstone were chasing around the garden .

Glad to hear that the small tortoiseshell is out - I also saw a small white, but the surprise for me in Scrogginhall Woods has been how well the comma has overwintered, with at least four in closely combined territories and some mating activity yesterday 15.4.2013 - nice sight of a peacock male brimstones too. Black caps and chiff chaffs are everywhere in the woods right through to the Rookery. One sad note is that LBB came in and felled the smaller of the allotment oaks making the little owls desert the larger oak, which is still intact, at least until August - sheer mindless vandalism on the part of the authorities to cut during the nesting season.